KOLLAM: The raging clamour for mass culling of ‘dangerous’ stray dogs is once again blaring out across the state. Reason: A 48-year-old man was mauled to death by a pack of vicious strays at Pulluvila, near Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
Meanwhile, the state government has found itself on a sticky wicket as the culling call goes against the recent Supreme Court observation stating strays too had the right to live. Making matters trickier, the apex court, considering a petition on March 2017, had directed the state to file an affidavit keeping in view “stray dogs have to be protected in accordance with law”.
“We are at our wits’ end. On one side we have the Kerala Municipality Act 1994, empowering a local body secretary to cull stray dogs (Section 438). But on the other side, the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001 state only those strays which are incurably ill and mortally wounded shall be euthanised,” an officer with the Local Self-Government Department told ‘Express’.
“Even dogs with high probability of rabies should only be isolated till it dies a natural death. Above all, the SC has taken a stern stance against culling of strays. If we do anything yielding to the public outcry, it will amount to contempt of court,” the officer said.This dilemma is also reflected on the contrasting statements made by Minister for Local Self-Governments K T Jaleel on two separate occasions.
The minister, responding after the death of Siluvamma at Pulluvila on August 2016, had said strays would be culled. However, making a volte-face, he reserved his statement on Monday as he informed the Assembly Animal Birth Control (ABC) is the only solution to tackle the menace.
Meanwhile, advocate V K Biju, who moved a compensation petition in SC for Jos Sebastian, whose wife, an MGNREGA worker, was mauled to death by strays, said some have tried to mislead the apex court by stating ABC was a better solution than culling.
“It’s an eyewash. How could a programme like ABC prevent dog attacks? The government’s counsel itself are ambivalent. Now, they are saying they will rehabilitate the dogs. But the dangerous dogs have to be culled. We will bring the latest appalling incident to the notice of the court,” said Biju.
Arun, a volunteer with the People for Animals, said,”culling is not a rational solution. If you cull a few dogs, new ones will replace them.”
According to him , it’s high time the government agencies woke up from their slumber to chalk out scientific solutions to control the menace rather than choosing quixotic measures like culling.
KLCA seeks govt aid for Joseclin
T’Puram: The Thiruvananthapuram archdiocese committee of the Kerala Latin Catholic Association has demanded the government to provide J5 lakh as financial assistance to the family of Joseclin, the 48-year-old mauled to death at Pulluvila on Sunday night. The KLCA has also demanded action against local bodies that have failed to take action to check the stray dog menace.
Latin Catholic Church to hold protests
T’Puram: The Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference (KCBC) has protested against the failure of the authorities to address the stray dog menace in Pulluvila. Archbishop M Soosa Pakiam, KCBC president and head of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, said in Pulluvila on Tuesday evening that no one need believe that the people would swallow empty promises. The Latin Catholic Church will organise state-wide protests on Tuesday.